It was 1978. A college dropout and a rejected med-school applicant had just combined their life savings to rent an old gas station, which they planned to resurrect as a restaurant. Their specialty: ice cream.

So begins the story of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield—better known as Ben & Jerry. Their small, old-fashioned ice-cream parlor eventually became a Burlington, Vermont, favorite, and before long, shops popped up all over the US and in 25 other countries. Their brand of ice cream is churned from wholesome, natural ingredients and blended into popular flavors like Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Coffee Caramel Buzz.

Ben and Jerry have also operated with a commitment to improve others' quality of life. They follow sustainable food-production and business practices that respect the environment. Ben & Jerry’s cartons are made from FSC-certified paper, which comes from forests that are managed for the protection of wildlife, and waste from its plants generates energy to power farms.